We know that human body and mind are one. From a physical point of view, what ways can we help maintain our mental health?
The first thing is to learn to relax.
What is [relaxing]?
When it comes to relaxation, many people know its importance, but when it comes to actual operation, they don’t know what to do. Almost every time after a big or small vacation, some people complain that they feel more tired than before after resting at home for a few days.
Let’s not mention those friends who spend their vacation time doing housework or traveling, even if they have nothing to do at home for two days, why are they still so tired on Monday morning?
This is caused by our failure to grasp how to relax.
There is an essential difference between [relaxation] and [collapse]:
- The so-called [relaxation] refers to the situation where you change your body from a combat state to a recuperation state in a comfortable way and live in that state when you have the conditions. The so-called “collapse” refers to the situation when you come back from work, kick your shoes, throw your bag, plunge into bed, shout [I really can’t do it], and then can’t lie down.
In fact, the spirit of a person who is in a state of collapse has not been recovered, but has simply collapsed.
However, we often mistake collapse for relaxation. As a result, we have not found the feeling of relaxation and naturally have not relaxed.
Is how right to relax?
The best way to learn to relax is to follow the zoology around you. They are naturally relaxed.
If your family or neighbor has a kitten or puppy, you can see how it relaxes after running and fighting. They usually find a comfortable place to lie down, adjust their posture, then breathe a sigh of relief and squint steadily to rest-that’s the process you have to do to relax.
However, many people are busy studying and working all day and forget their animal instincts, so let’s do a little exercise to take you back to the feeling of relaxation.
This exercise takes 15-20 minutes. If you do it comfortably, you can also extend the exercise time.
Most of the exercises in this book require you to stay awake, but the essential purpose of this exercise is to help you relax, so it doesn’t matter if you sleep directly in the past during the exercise, it is healthier to sleep.
If you want to strengthen the relaxation effect, you can also play some light music while practicing, such as some Japanese healing background music, which is very suitable as the background sound for this exercise.
Step 1 Take a deep breath
First of all, find a comfortable position to sit or lie down, close your eyes, and if possible, put on an eye mask.
Take a few deep breaths. Each time you exhale, the tension and pressure in your body will exhale out of your body with the air and feel your body gradually relaxing with the breathing.
Step 2: Imagine a scene
Next, imagine a scene you like. This scene can be the scenery of the Caribbean Sea, an ancient temple with deep clouds, or a dream hut in the forest. In short, you can imagine everything, as long as it is a place where you feel loved and relaxed.
3. Imagine the details of the scene
Try to imagine this place vividly and richly so that you can feel as if you were there.
You can take a closer look at the surrounding scenery, listen to all kinds of sounds in the scene, smell the fragrance of waves or mountain forests, feel the moisture in the air and the feeling of the breeze on your skin…
You can jump into the boundless beauty, or just lie quietly and feel the comfort brought to you by the scenery.
You don’t need to let the scenery conform to the objective facts, just let your imagination fly freely.
STEP 4 Pay Attention to Physical Feelings
While you imagine, pay attention to your physical feelings and feel that your physical state is different from that of what before you imagine.
What you feel now is [relaxation], remember this feeling and let your body sink into it.
You can stay as long as you want in this scene. When you plan to come back, gradually pull your attention back to your body, feel your bed, chair and the surrounding air, take a few deep breaths, and then slowly open your eyes.
How, do you feel relaxed physically and mentally?